Fish Refuge Zones: Reserves that Multiply Life and Livelihoods
Fish Refuge Zones: Reserves that Multiply Life and Livelihoods
What are Fish Refuge Zones (ZRP)?
Fish Refuge Zones are designated areas in the ocean—either temporary or permanent—where fishing is prohibited to allow the recovery of fish populations and other marine organisms.
They function as a “biodiversity savings account”: species reproduce and grow within the protected area (the capital), and thanks to the spillover effect, they expand beyond its boundaries (the interest), benefiting both conservation and sustainable fisheries.
What does COBI do?
At COBI, we work alongside coastal communities to:
1. Design, implement, and renew Fish Refuge Zones using scientific principles and local knowledge.
2. Establish interconnected networks in strategic regions such as the Mexican Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Gulf of California, fostering genetic exchange and ecosystem health.
3. Train women and men fishers (more than 300 to date) in scuba diving so they can conduct underwater monitoring and generate scientific data for adaptive management.
4. Empower communities to become active stewards of their marine resources.
Since 2012, we have participated in more than 70% of Fish Refuge Zone decrees in Mexico, creating lasting impacts on ocean health and on the resilience of the communities that depend on them.
Who participates?
1. Women and men fishers committed to conservation and responsible management.
2. Coastal communities that lead the design and stewardship of these zones.
3. Civil society organizations providing technical and operational support.
4. Government authorities responsible for fisheries protection and regulation.
5. Academic institutions contributing research and scientific monitoring.List of additional resources:
Keep the Ocean Alive
With your donation, you support fishing communities and projects that protect species, restore ecosystems, and help secure a sustainable future for all.
Donate to this solutionList of additional resources:
- Shiny App – Herramienta de diagnóstico de zonas de refugio pesquero
- Shiny App – Sistema de Costeo para Herramientas de Reservas Marinas y Proyectos de Mejora Pesquera
- Shiny App – Aplicación para Evaluación de Reservas Marinas
- Herramienta integral de diagnóstico de Zonas de Refugio Pesquero
- Protocolo de Monitoreo para Reservas Marinas
Related scientific articles:
- Précoma-de la Mora, M., Bennett, N. J., Fulton, S., Munguia-Vega, A., Lasch-Thaler, C., Walther-Mendoza, M., … & Rodríguez Van Dyck, S. (2021). Integrating biophysical, socio-economic and governance principles into marine reserve design and management in Mexico: From theory to practice. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8, 778980.
- Micheli, F., Saenz-Arroyo, A., Greenley, A., Vazquez, L., Espinoza Montes, J. A., Rossetto, M., & De Leo, G. A. (2012). Evidence that marine reserves enhance resilience to climatic impacts. PloS one, 7(7), e40832.
- Villasenor-Derbez, J. C., Faro, C., Wright, M., Martinez, J., Fitzgerald, S., Fulton, S., … & Costello, C. (2018). A user-friendly tool to evaluate the effectiveness of no-take marine reserves. PLoS One, 13(1), e0191821.
- Villaseñor-Derbez, J. C., Amador-Castro, I. G., Hernández-Velasco, A., Torre, J., & Fulton, S. (2022). Two decades of community-based marine conservation provide the foundations for future action. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9, 893104.
